The invention relates to a traveling water screen for filtering the water flowing through a channel. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for securing a dual flow traveling water screen in a channel.
Power plants, foundries and other types of industrial facilities are often located near a body of water in order to satisfy their need for water, which is typically used as a coolant. However, water taken from a natural source must be filtered to prevent naturally occurring debris from being taken in with the water.
Typically, traveling water screens are used to filter the water. In the conventional operation, a series of channels are positioned in a body of water to direct the flow of water through the channels and into the intake ports of the facility. As is known in the art, a traveling water screen is mounted in each of the channels to filter the water flowing through the channel and prevent the ingress of aquatic life and debris into the intake ports of the facility.
A commonly known configuration for a traveling water screen includes a frame having an upstream portion or face and a downstream portion. The frame also includes opposite side portions connected between the upstream portion and the downstream portion. As is known in the art, the frame is centrally positioned in the channel so that the opposite side portions each face an opposing sidewall of the channel. The frame supports first and second vertically extending water screens. Each water screen is adjacent to a respective side portion and faces the corresponding sidewall of the channel.
It is also known in the art to provide a pair of baffles for directing the water through the vertically extending water screens. The baffles are typically connected between the downstream portion of the traveling water screen frame and the channel sidewalls. Thus, water flows into the channel around the upstream face of the traveling water screen frame where it is directed by the baffles through the water screens.
One such arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,131. Each baffle includes a projection extending into a groove on each of the corresponding channel sidewalls to secure the baffles in position in the channel. A series of struts are connected between the projections and the upstream face of the traveling water screen frame.